Parents
visiting the PTC website are probably in tune with what's popular in the "barren
wasteland" -- a phrase used to describe the state of television a half century
ago. However, if the Internet and such services as YouTube are truly going to
become the future of TV, can we expect anything better?

This week I
received a media release trumpeting the Top 10 most watched videos on YouTube
that were released during this past year. I thought it would make for an
interesting field trip to have a look at the "future," so to speak, and see if
there is any hope of YouTube saving us from what seems to be television's most
desperate era. Even more important, I wondered if families will be any better
served by the "best" of YouTube than they are parked in front of broadcast TV?

(I debated
doing the classic David Letterman thing and starting with Number 10 and working
up to Number 1, but for reasons I'll explain at the end of this review, we'll
begin at the top...)

We're off
to a bad start, at least from a family perspective. The top YouTube video takes
a news story about an attempted sexual assault and turns it into an
entertainment piece. Done by a couple of brothers who use special software
called "Autotune" (many artists use it to keep perfect pitch when they sing),
they hunt for news stories with eccentric people in them. In this case an
interview with Antoine Dodson of Huntsville AL, telling of how a sexual predator
broke into his sister's bedroom in the middle of the night, became a huge hit on
YouTube and now the song itself is selling on iTunes.

US pop
singer Ke$ha's hit song Tik Tok is turned into a parody by a group called Key of
Awe$ome. It mocks the song's take on hard partying and brushing your teeth with
whiskey by depicting some very over-the-top parents who are convinced their
daughter is way too far into drugs and booze. Depending on your perspective, you
may or may not appreciate this message -- which also contains some brief
profanities.

Every
corporation's dream -- make a commercial and manage to have it turn into a viral
sensation. If you haven't seen it (or the many parodies it has spawned) it's
worth a look. But wait a minute? We're on #3, and the best (in my opinion) thus
far is a commercial? Not good...

This is
YouTube at it's... ummm... finest. A guy in Yosemite awakes to discover a huge
double rainbow towering above him in the sky and provides a euphoric commentary.
If the camera work doesn't make you nauseous, his bizarre babbling for over two
minutes will test your patience. Also beware that a reference to deity is
repeated ad nauseum (pun intended). And we can thank Jimmy Kimmel for giving
this the publicity it didn't deserve. At least now if you hear your kids say,
"Double rainbow all the way!" you'll know the root of their lexicon.

At Number
5, we finally begin to see some raw talent. After a grade six student named
Greyson Chance belts out Lady GaGa's hit Paparazzi at a local school
chorus concert, he posts the video on YouTube and it takes off. Eventually it
catches the attention of Ellen DeGeneres who brings Greyson on her show. If you
want to hear the song without the shaky camera work and poor recording, check
out his debut on
the Ellen Show.

The title
says it all for this one. A three-year-old girl really needs some sleep but is
waaaay too sad about Justin Bieber. The first 15 seconds are cute, but then you
begin to wonder why you are still watching it. However, if you manage to endure
just a little past 4 minutes, that's where the punch line happens. (I suggest
you fast forward to that point.) And yes, she and her sister do
eventually get to meet him.

Okay... I
must disclose a potential conflict of interest. As a Canadian, I was surprised
to discover both the #8 and #9 most watched videos on YouTube deal with Canadian
issues. Sadly, while the effort in this patriotic piece is commendable, I'm not
impressed with the continual image of us Canucks being booze swigging, dope
smoking zealots.

This is
more like it... Produced during the 2010 Olympics held in Vancouver, British
Columbia, Tom Brokaw narrates a six-minute segment about Canada and the
country's ongoing friendship with the United States. It brought tears to my
eyes.

And last,
but definitely not least, music group OK Go puts their song This Too Shall
Pass to video with a tremendous Rube Goldberg machine. This video is worth
clicking the "full screen" button and viewing a few times. And just in case
there are some camera tricks or other effects used in the making of this, or you
want to know more about the process behind the production of this video, check
this
Wall Street Journal article.

Ironically,
at the close of the Top 10 YouTube offerings of 2010, we are noticing some very
interesting outcomes: The commercials are often more entertaining than the
programs. Talent has nothing to do with popularity. #10 is truly #1. And there
are still many pitfalls for family viewing. All this leaves me asking, "Will
online television be any better than what we already have?"

Rod Gustafson

Besides writing this column for the Parents Television Council, Rod Gustafson authors Parent Previews® - a newspaper and Internet column (published in association with movies.com) that reviews movies from a parent's perspective. He's also the film critic for a major Canadian TV station, various radio stations and serves on the executive of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness. Finally, his most important role is being the father to four wonderful children and husband to his beautiful wife (and co-worker) Donna.

Parents Television Council,
www.parentstv.org, PTC,
Clean Up TV Now, Because our children are watching, The
nation's most influential advocacy organization, Protecting
children against sex, violence and profanity in
entertainment, Parents Television Council Seal of Approval,
and Family Guide to Prime Time Television
are trademarks of the Parents Television Council.